Large trees and dense canopies: key factors for maintaining high epiphytic diversity on trunk bases (bryophytes and lichens) in tropical montane forests

Benítez, Ángel; Prieto, María; Aragón, Gregorio

doi:10.1093/forestry/cpv022

Cited by 58 publications

(60 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…On the other hand, the highest occurrence of heliophytic lichen species with green algae and cortical pigments, microlichens, lichens with narrow lobes, light and fruticose thallus were related to sites with a more anthropogenic land use (e.g., forest-pasture, pasture and urban zones). These species show a higher tolerance to lower humidity and more light intensity promoted positively by an open canopy [5,14,[18][19][20]23,63,64]. In our case, heliophytic lichen species (e.g., Parmotrema, Teloschistes, and Usnea), species with narrow lobes such as Physcia, Heterodermia and Hypotrachyna, and fruticose species (e.g., Usnea and Teloschistes) were present in more anthropogenic areas because these sites present high levels of solar radiation and water stress [22,63].…”

Section: Species Richness Functional Traits and Community Compositionmentioning

confidence: 65%

“…This phenomenon associated with species richness and functional traits can be explained by the ecological and physiological requirements related to water availability. Thus, a greater richness of sensitive species (e.g., Leptogium), species with cyanobacteria and gelatinose growth were present in forest sites with a closed canopy [5,14,18,19,[61][62][63][64] than in pasture and urban sites. This is because they are intolerant to light and strongly depend on atmospheric humidity, in some cases they even need liquid water to do photosynthesis [65].…”

Section: Species Richness Functional Traits and Community Compositionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…ecosystem processes [10,14,15]. Epiphytic lichens are poikilohydric, thus they lack an active regulation of the loss and absorption of water [16], which in turn increases their sensitivity to environmental disturbances [17,18]. For these reasons, several biological traits of lichens as such as photobiont type, growth, reproduction, and development can be affected by environmental changes [19][20][21][22].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Lichen Responses to Disturbance: Clues for Biomonitoring Land-use Effects on Riparian Andean Ecosystems

et al. 2019

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The transformation of natural ecosystems due to anthropogenic land use is considered one of the main causes of biodiversity loss. Lichens, due to their poikilohydric nature, are very sensitive to natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Therefore, lichen communities have been widely used as bioindicators of climatic and environmental changes. In this study, we evaluated how the species richness and community composition of epiphytic lichens respond to land-use intensity in riparian ecosystems of the Andes in southern Ecuador. Additionally, we evaluate how the richness of six functional traits (photobiont type, growth form, and reproductive strategy) changed across the different land-use intensity. We selected 10 trees in twelve sites for a total de 120 trees, equally divided into four riparian land-use intensities (forest, forest-pasture, pasture and urban). We recorded a total of 140 lichen species. Species richness was highest in the forest sites and decreased towards more anthropogenic land uses. Lichen community composition responded to land-use intensity, and was explained by microclimate variables (e.g., precipitation, percentage forested area) and distance to the forest. Richness of functional traits of lichens also differed significantly among the four land-use intensity and decreased from forests to urban land-use. Taxonomic diversity and functional traits can be effectively applied as bioindicators to assess and monitor the effects of land-use changes in the riparian ecosystems of tropical montane regions.

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Section: Species Richness Functional Traits and Community Compositionmentioning

confidence: 65%

Section: Species Richness Functional Traits and Community Compositionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Lichen Responses to Disturbance: Clues for Biomonitoring Land-use Effects on Riparian Andean Ecosystems

et al. 2019

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“…Tree trunks are known to harbour a rich array of microflora and fauna (Prinzing 2001;Wang et al 2016). In certain environments, such as the one we describe here, and others (e.g., Benítez et al 2015), tree trunks are covered with a rich diversity of lichens, some of which are common, and some of which are rare (Fig. 1).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Is it common to be rare on the landscape? A test using a novel model system

Wiersma

McMullin

2017

Landscape Ecol

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Context Understanding how rare species are distributed can be difficult due to heterogeneity between landscape units. Lack of statistical replication of landscapes can make it difficult to carry out testing. Model systems may be a solution. Objectives We test whether lichen thalli along the trunk of a tree are analogous to habitat patches in a kilometers-extent landscape and hence can function as a model system. This model system allows for increased statistical power. We use this system to test whether landscapes with rare species are different from those without. Methods We sampled macrolichen diversity along the trunk of 24 balsam fir trees in a stand on the Avalon Peninsula, Newfoundland, Canada, along with microclimate variables. We analysed difference in pattern by aspect and along the gradient of 1 m up the trunk as well as between trees containing the rare Erioderma pedicellatum and those without. Results We found no difference in total patch richness or abundance between the micro-landscapes. We found significantly consistent patterns in lichen patches along the trunk. These patterns were similar on the trees with the rare species. Lichen species richness did not differ between trees containing the rare species versus those that did not. Conclusions Lichen patch pattern is statistically similar between trees and as such, these can be considered as replicate landscape units. Thus, landscape ecologists can use micro-landscapes as model systems to conduct observational and manipulative experiments to test questions about spatial pattern and process, such as those concerning distribution of rare species.

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“…Bryophytes are very sensitive to microclimatic changes [80,81], and ecological conditions needed for most mosses are likely to be microenvironmental [82], but on coarser spatial and temporal scales, other drivers are crucial to the composition of epiphytic communities, including macroclimatic conditions [82,83].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modeling the distribution of rare and interesting moss species of the family Orthotrichaceae (Bryophyta) in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan

2017

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Bryological research carried out from 2008 in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan brought interesting data on the occurrence of epiphytic bryophytes which have not been recorded yet there. One of the species was recently described as a new (Orthotrichum pamiricum) and some of the other newly recorded species are considered as rare or endangered in the region of Middle Asia. To make detailed field monitoring of the species with the aim of mapping their distribution in a wild and complex mountainous terrain, it was necessary in the first instance to identify the area with suitable conditions for the occurrence of these species. We present an innovative modeling program MaxEnt (maximum entropy modeling), which have not previously been used for modeling either epiphytic bryophytes or in the Middle Asia region. Using 205 samples (presence-only data), percent tree cover, and seven uncorrelated bioclimatic variables, regions suitable for the occurrence of the studied species were identified. Distribution models for eight most interesting species of Orthotrichum are presented here (O. affine, O. anomalum, O. crenulatum, O. cupulatum, O. pallens, O. pamiricum, O. pumilum, and O. speciosum). They indicated appropriate areas for the most probable occurrence of the species in western Tajikistan, and southwestern and northeastern Kyrgyzstan. These results could serve as guides for future survey expeditions, and aid in the conservation of target species and our understanding of their ecology. Different environmental variables for various species were selected as the most important for modeling. However, for most species higher minimum temperatures and higher precipitation in the wettest month and mean diurnal range were the variables with the greatest contribution to the models.

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Large trees and dense canopies: key factors for maintaining high epiphytic diversity on trunk bases (bryophytes and lichens) in tropical montane forests

Cited by 58 publications

References 44 publications

Lichen Responses to Disturbance: Clues for Biomonitoring Land-use Effects on Riparian Andean Ecosystems

Lichen Responses to Disturbance: Clues for Biomonitoring Land-use Effects on Riparian Andean Ecosystems

Is it common to be rare on the landscape? A test using a novel model system

Modeling the distribution of rare and interesting moss species of the family Orthotrichaceae (Bryophyta) in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan

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